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Getting on a rocket to Mars has been a dream for space exploration enthusiasts for decades. However, there are a lot of engineering problems that still need solutions before people can safely get to Mars (and back, unless you favor the one-way trip strategy). Optimists might expect humans to walk on Mars sometime in the 2030s, but realistically, there would have to be a significant change in the way deep space exploration is funded for that to happen. If you're just entering 5th grade or so, maybe you can consider a career on Mars. But perhaps you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.

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It's surprising how poorly documented some of the Apollo missions are now -- with lost original footage of the first lunar landing (eventually restored from other recordings). Now we're entering a new phase of space that's more privatized, so it's even more likely that commercial space programs will not be preserved for the benefit of all. Maybe someday all of NASA's tweets will be safely stored on magnetic tape, and SpaceX's first reusable rocket landing video will be preserved in HD. Or maybe we'll have to check on Elon Musk's closet after he dies to look for Martian souvenirs.

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A warmer, wetter Mars might have been a habitable world, but it's not clear exactly how the conditions on Mars changed and became so different. Our neighboring planet had the best chances for harboring life as we know it, even if it doesn't anymore. There's really no proof that Mars supported life (yet?), but it's not impossible to think that things once lived there. Here are just a few clues that could lead to finding alien lifeforms.

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We've covered a bunch of plans for manned missions to space from amateurs and private companies and various governments. There are three countries that have built space vehicles for people: Russia, China and the US. However, the US hasn't had a launch system for its astronauts made domestically since the retirement of the space shuttle program. NASA is getting closer to having more new launch systems made in the USA, and here are just a few links on the topic.

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We've mentioned a few DIY space projects before where nearly anyone can participate in an effort to expand our knowledge of our solar system or to develop a cheaper way to get into space. More and more space exploration seems to rely on the help of a growing ecosystem of space geeks who can volunteer their time/resources to learn more about the universe around us. Here are just a few other crowdfunding or crowdsourcing efforts to explore space.

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Protecting humans from the harsh environment of space isn't easy, so spacesuits are usually bulky and not too fashionable. Buzz Lightyear's outfit is actually not too unbecoming, but astronauts probably shouldn't dress like animated characters, even if they could. Astronauts shouldn't worry about what they look like as long as they're safely protected, but certain astronaut images might scare off folks (aliens?). Here are just a few spacesuit designs that future space travelers are testing out now.

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The cost of getting an object into space is getting cheaper with time, so it's not too surprising that amateurs are starting to mess around with small satellites and vehicles that reach the edge of the Earth's atmosphere. Amateurs haven't achieved low Earth orbit without the help of actual aerospace companies, but citizen scientists could be getting closer to doing real space science on shoestring budgets. Here are just a few space exploration projects that didn't cost billions of taxpayer dollars.

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Rockets capable of sending payloads into orbit aren't too common. Not surprisingly, a vehicle that has to control an enormous explosion and direct the thrust in a specified direction isn't easy to make reliable. So when rocket scientists have created a design that works, it doesn't make that much sense to radically change the design without good reasons. Here are just a few examples of rocket engines that are gradually evolving and improving as the demands of space launches grow.

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We already have a bunch of robots exploring various aspects of Mars, but even though we're not running out of things that bots can do in space, it would be nice to get astronauts walking on another planet someday. We could go back to the moon, but Mars is a more ambitious and noteworthy goal. Getting to Mars safely is a challenge because it'll take several weeks (at least) to get there, and no one has ever tested radiation shielding on such a long trip in open space. Still, it should be possible if we're committed to doing it. Here are just a few baby steps towards making a trip to Mars happen.

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The number of ways to get people into space is at a record low right now, but some projects on the horizon are planning to get more people living in space in the not too distant future. Commercial space ventures are going to be shuttling (or capsule-ing, as the case may be) people to low earth orbit, and some other projects are aiming for more distant journeys. Here are just a few space exploration plans to keep an eye on if you still want to be an astronaut someday.